School board approves amended bargaining-resolution language after last‑minute exclusions

The Charlottesville City School Board on June 4 approved an amended collective bargaining resolution that narrows the definition of “confidential employee” and adds several explicit exclusions after a contested discussion and public comment.

Board members and staff debated whether positions such as division administrative technicians, technical-support specialists and certain student-services roles should be reclassified. Michael Savatira, who identified himself at the meeting as president of the CEA, urged the board not to adopt broad language that could remove employees’ bargaining rights without clear justification and notification. Emily Kingsley, who identified herself later as the collective bargaining chair for the Charlottesville Union, also warned the board that overly broad wording could exceed legal definitions of confidential employees.

Staff and legal counsel responded that the revised language is intended to reflect the specific functions of employees who routinely handle sensitive bargaining- or personnel-related data. Staff said that, under the adopted timetable, any listed employees would remain covered by the current agreement for the remainder of the three-year contract and would be subject to the new classification only after the contract expires. Staff also said they will revisit and, where necessary, amend job descriptions to remove duties that create inadvertent confidential access.

During the meeting Miss Douly proposed a friendly amendment to explicitly exclude the athletics administrative technician from confidential status; the amendment was accepted and incorporated into the final vote. Board members emphasized they will continue to work with the association and HR to clarify exactly which positions are affected and to return with corrected job descriptions.

The board did not list every affected title at the meeting and several public commenters and union representatives asked for a definitive list to be published. Staff said they will provide additional clarification to the union and to board members and that affected employees would not immediately lose bargaining rights.

The vote concluded the board’s agenda item on collective bargaining and staff said the administration will follow up with more precise role descriptions and that bargaining processes already underway would proceed under current agreements until the new classification takes effect.